LETTER FROM THE PHILIPPINES

In 1983 Sen. Benigno Aquino was assassinated. Pres. Marcos reluctantly appointed a committee to investigate it. Their findings were that the murder was planned & carried out by a group that included some of the country's highest-ranking military officers. The brutal assassination shook the country & placed Marcos on the defensive for the first time in his career. He is 67 & suffers from a chronic disease. Recent rumors say he will call for a special Presidential election this year or next & choose Imelda Marcos (his wife) as his running mate or successor. Tells how Marcos consolidated & maintained his power. Over the past two years he has moved slowly to restore some political & other freedoms, including freedom to an opposition press which has denounced him & his wife. He still remains a commanding figure and a feared one. Since the Aquino assassination well-organized street demonstrations have become the most significant new political development. Mentions other opposition activity. Writer says in 40 years he has never seen the country in such a state of uncertainty and confusion. Economically it is a mess. It will take several years to restore solvency & confidence. Seventy per cent of the population is living at or below the poverty line. U.S. policy concerns itself with the welfare of American business firms and the preservation of the American military bases. Initially Marcos did some worthwhile things but then he usurped power. Tells about violence in the country. Businessmen & professionals have joined the opposition. Tells about the economy, the Communist insurgents, & the weakness of the Philippine armed forces against them. The Catholic Church supports the activist movement.